The KC/DW Review Series

**ashauler** · 08-26-2008, 04:40 PM

This is my very favorite cigar!! I'm glad you enjoyed it......

As far as getting another one........from me the chance is zero as that was my last one.

I flipped a coin to see if you or KC got it........you won. Now I'm off to look for more, but I fear I will have no luck.....they are indeed difficult to obtain. I have searched a couple of times and, total, I have only had in my possession 15 of these cigars.

**logan37** · 08-26-2008, 08:13 PM

Awesome reviews KC and DW. I'm really learning a lot from you guys. Keep it up

**bigwhiteash** · 08-26-2008, 09:00 PM

Gotta hate Jamie for hooking us up with awesome cigars that are not obtainable

The MB-1 is an outstanding cigar, judging by the single example I have had the pleasure of setting on fire!

Great review(s), Keep 'em coming guys

**Eville** · 08-26-2008, 10:01 PM

I have something that I really need to get off my chest. You both are horrible, horrible people. I have spent countless hours over the past week tirelessly researching different makers and blends. I have been digging through pages of online samplers and deals trying to decided what to spend my money on. Then, I start going through this wealth of information, reading, checking the index, rereading, over and over. If it weren’t for your incredibly thorough and informative reviews, I may have made up my mind on exactly what to order already. I may have just settled on a few safety smokes that I am already familiar with, or maybe even blindly picked out a box of dog rockets. Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys, keep em coming! Maybe I’ll make up my mind one of these days.

**logan37** · 08-26-2008, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by Eville

I have something that I really need to get off my chest. You both are horrible, horrible people. I have spent countless hours over the past week tirelessly researching different makers and blends. I have been digging through pages of online samplers and deals trying to decided what to spend my money on. Then, I start going through this wealth of information, reading, checking the index, rereading, over and over. If it weren’t for your incredibly thorough and informative reviews, I may have made up my mind on exactly what to order already. I may have just settled on a few safety smokes that I am already familiar with, or maybe even blindly picked out a box of dog rockets. Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys, keep em coming! Maybe I’ll make up my mind one of these days.

Try 'em all!

**DeeDubya** · 08-27-2008, 10:51 AM

ChefChris sent a few missles my way a few days back so I thought I'd start with one that was new to me. Signature Collection instantly brought to mind Carlos Torano, however Nick Perdomo also has a Signature Collection.

The Figurado is of course made entirely by hand using select Cuban Criollo 1999 Nicaraguan shade-grown wrapper. It is a mild-medium bodied smoke with pronounced spiciness and woodsey flovors. Actually, at first I thought that Chris might have had it together with an Acid in his humi where it might have picked up some herbal or floral scents. But fortunately not, this cigar is perfect if you like them spicy. Around midway it builds in strength yet keeps refreshing aftertaste. Very complex with billowing clouds of rich, heady smoke and a very easy draw make it pleasant to smoke.

I enjoyed it with a glass of Jacob's Cabernet. For me many cigars just do not do well with a red wine. Only the sweeter ports for medium to full cigars. Anyway, this was a really good combo and I really liked this cigar. It burned perfectly with a uniform cone and white ash until the very end where it moved to one side. Not really a problem.

Nick Perdomo labeled these as "kick-ass mild cigars". He's right.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.7.

**ashauler** · 08-27-2008, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Eville

I have something that I really need to get off my chest. You both are horrible, horrible people. I have spent countless hours over the past week tirelessly researching different makers and blends. I have been digging through pages of online samplers and deals trying to decided what to spend my money on. Then, I start going through this wealth of information, reading, checking the index, rereading, over and over. If it weren’t for your incredibly thorough and informative reviews, I may have made up my mind on exactly what to order already. I may have just settled on a few safety smokes that I am already familiar with, or maybe even blindly picked out a box of dog rockets. Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys, keep em coming! Maybe I’ll make up my mind one of these days.

LOL......I hope you don't think it gets any easier.

If you haven't already, try the newbie sampler........that will make your head spin.

Originally Posted by logan37

Try 'em all!

Famous last words........as you tip over the edge of the slope.

**logan37** · 08-27-2008, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by ashauler

Famous last words........as you tip over the edge of the slope.

LOL. My humi is filled with only one of each stick(some I have two of). Each day I have a different one. So far there are three that I plan on buying boxes of.

**King Catfish** · 08-27-2008, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by ashauler

Nice Review KC...

(its getting to be redundant to type that to you two).

Yep, I've had that one for quite awhile.....these are a regular purchase for me and I always have some in the humi and coolers. Sorry you had the wrapper problem, these normally burn very well and the construction is usually consistent. I should have sent you a fresh one as well.......these things are much more powerful then, moving solidly into the medium category, imho.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Oh, no, it was fine. The wrapper problem was very minor and near the end anyway. A very tasty smoke. I enjoyed it, especially at the beginning. What a great start.

Originally Posted by Eville

I have something that I really need to get off my chest. You both are horrible, horrible people. I have spent countless hours over the past week tirelessly researching different makers and blends. I have been digging through pages of online samplers and deals trying to decided what to spend my money on. Then, I start going through this wealth of information, reading, checking the index, rereading, over and over. If it weren’t for your incredibly thorough and informative reviews, I may have made up my mind on exactly what to order already. I may have just settled on a few safety smokes that I am already familiar with, or maybe even blindly picked out a box of dog rockets. Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys, keep em coming! Maybe I’ll make up my mind one of these days.

Thanks for the kind words.

**chefchris** · 08-27-2008, 06:12 PM

Glad you enjoyed the Signature Series. I don't hear a lot of people smoking these, but I enjoy them every now and then and so does Sarah. You can get a box of CBid for cheap.

**King Catfish** · 08-27-2008, 06:56 PM

Wrapper: Ecuadorian sun-grown Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran and Dominican

Thanks to Ashauler for scaring the crap out of me with this big Toro. The cigar comes well dressed in a cedar sleeve and a triple band in black and gold. When I pulled the stick out of its cello wrapper the aroma immediately drifted up as if to whisper to my nose that I was going to have my ass kicked. Yes, this cigar smells like a beating one looks forward to, a really strong classic tobacco smell. Read on, it turns out to be more gentle and civilized than it looked.

The wrapper was a dark-chocolate brown and very shiny and oily. Did I mention it smelled great? Construction was firm and solid and let’s light this thing already. The cut was made with no problem, toasting smelled nice, and away we went. Smoke volume was immediately admirable, and the flavor was milder than I was expecting at the start. The first asset the flavor profile showed me was nuttiness, followed by a glimpse of earthiness. (I am beginning to think Ashauler likes earthy, nutty cigars, no?)

The first third showed my poor lighting technique by starting out with a slightly uneven burn. The burn evened itself out pretty quickly, the burn line became very sharp indeed, and the taste of leather, oh, yes, my very favorite cigar taste of leather started to appear upon the palate. Coffee followed soon after. The ash was light gray and solid and fell off after about an inch.

In the second third the taste of black coffee was getting stronger, with nuts immediately behind; the leathery taste was relegated to the role of entertaining the palate in the lingering aftertaste. The final third showed more assertiveness from the leather (again) and perhaps a bit of a fade of the coffee, with all flavors getting stronger. I thought I detected a bit of black cherry (of all things) toward the end of each puff in the final third, which was a pleasant surprise. This was a very long-lasting smoke, about an hour and a half.

This is a solid, civilized, lovely cigar that looks brutal and strong; it starts gentle, making one feels as if this stick is all bluster and no balls; but the strength, complexity, and flavor build until the end, which is a crescendo of music for the tongue’s ear, as it were.

Score: 94. I could not find anything not to love about this stick. Ashauler, I thank you very warmly for this very nice evening.

**DeeDubya** · 08-28-2008, 07:32 AM

Great review KC. Now I've got to find some these because of you, the very person who warned us about the slippery slope.

**ashauler** · 08-28-2008, 07:42 AM

Very, very nice review. One of the best, if not the best, of the NC HdM's imho. Glad you enjoyed it.

**DeeDubya** · 08-29-2008, 08:44 AM

Thanks Chris. This is now one of my favorites. I like Habano's anyway but this was one of the most pleasurable I have smoked in a while. I fired this one up as soon as I got home from the office. I should have waited until after dinner as it was very robust and full-bodied.

Ernesto Carrillo of La Gloria Cubana owns this lesser known line of cigars which are considered stronger and even fuller-flavored than the La Glorias. Wrapped in a reddish-brown Colorado wrapper that is slightly veiny it is well packed with an easy draw. It toasted well and immediately produced a cloud of rich, mellow smoke on the first draw.

The next 40 minutes were (for me) what smoking cigars is all about. First, I lit up with an open mind about what to expect from a new cigar. The entire process of smelling the wrapper, cutting, pre-light draw, toasting and the first draw all indicated that this would be a good cigar. But, you know many do not improve much beyond the first few puffs before they either run (we're talking about Habanos), are packed unevenly or stack up some bitterness or harshness that eventually ruins the experience. The El Rico burned evenly, very nice light grey, sturdy ash. Habano's tend to have a mottled or spotted ash that curls with an off-center cone.

The rich, earthy flavors never wavered, keeping a smooth, creamy pace with a little woodiness, hints of leather and thick, humid, forest scents. Next time, I will wait until after dinner and have one with a couple fingers of Patron on ice. Ideally, I like to shoot a small shot of aged Tequila first, no salt or lime, and swish it for a few seconds. It's like a pre-smoke mouth wash if that makes sense.

Thanks again Chris.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.9.

**chefchris** · 08-29-2008, 04:08 PM

Awesome, I love this cigar and I know Woxof does, too. I'm glad I could turn you on to it. It is wonderful.

**King Catfish** · 08-30-2008, 06:50 PM

Very nice review, DW. That cigar sounds as if it's right up my alley; I'll have to try one.

**logan37** · 08-30-2008, 08:43 PM

Thanks DW, sounds like a great cigar. I'm going to look into this one.

**King Catfish** · 08-31-2008, 09:27 AM

OK, gents, going on a fishing trip all this week; I have two more sticks from Ashauler to review when I get back. Wish me luck!

**logan37** · 08-31-2008, 01:23 PM

have fun and good luck

**DeeDubya** · 08-31-2008, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by King Catfish

OK, gents, going on a fishing trip all this week; I have two more sticks from Ashauler to review when I get back. Wish me luck!

I hope your taking some "fishgars"? One of those important items (fishing gear, bait, beer and cigars). Anything else like cell phone, extra change of clothes, boom box can be left at home. You won't need them.